Karate-Themed Kids Coding Center Opens in Castle Rock

Say the words, “video game” and your kids are bound to stop and listen. The local owners of a new Code Ninjas, a learning center now open at 3855 Ambrosia St., Ste. 102, know that video games aren’t only fun, but educational. Code Ninjas will serve the local area by teaching children computer coding and problem-solving skills while having fun building video games.

The Castle Rock location is owned and operated by local entrepreneurs Andy and Kristy Lathrop. An army veteran, Andy has almost 25 years of additional professional experience in the private and non-profit sectors, mostly within enterprise analytics and data science. Kristy is a veteran middle school science teacher who has since become an educational consultant who specializes in project-based learning and STEM. The pair became interested in franchise ownership as a way to work in a field they are passionate about and be part of a growing concept. Recognizing the value of coding literacy, they saw an advertisement for Code Ninjas and knew it was the perfect fit to combine their interests of business ownership, coding, and community. This is their first Code Ninjas location, with plans to open additional locations in the future.

“As an army veteran, it’s important to me to always give back to my community as much as possible, and that’s why I’m so excited to bring Code Ninjas to Castle Rock,” said Andy. “Having an understanding of coding is an incredibly important skill to possess. I’m looking forward to helping children gain confidence in coding and STEM that will prepare them for the future, but in a way that is engaging and fun.”

Children in Castle Rock and surrounding communities ages 5-14 can look forward to visiting the new Code Ninjas center to learn how to code in a fun, safe, and social learning environment where gaming is celebrated, and STEM is cool. Everything about Code Ninjas is built around fun, which keeps kids coming back. But the center also provides the results that parents are looking for, as their children gain coding and problem-solving skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future.

Code Ninjas accomplishes this with a robust, game-based curriculum made up of nine belts, just like martial arts. The curriculum is self-paced, but not self-taught; kids get immediate help and encouragement from Code Senseis and fellow students as they advance from white to black belt. The program keeps kids motivated with little wins along the way, and “Belt-Up” celebrations where they receive color-coded wristbands to mark their graduation to the next level. By the time a child finishes the program, they will publish an app in an app store.

To ensure the safety of all children, parents and workers, Code Ninjas is taking extra precautions. Devices, tables, door handles, bathrooms, and other frequently-used surfaces are sanitized throughout the day. Workspaces and equipment, including keyboards and monitors will also be cleaned between every student session. All students and staff have their temperature taken prior to admittance into the building and all employees and guests will be required to wear masks.

Code Ninjas offers a variety of opportunities for children to get involved, including a flexible weeknight drop-in program, camps and Parents Night Out events on weekends.

For more information about the Castle Rock Code Ninjas location, please visit codeninjas.com/co-castle-rock or call 303-997-6781.

About Code Ninjas

Founded in 2016, Code Ninjas® is the world’s largest and fastest-growing kids coding franchise. In hundreds of Code Ninjas centers, kids ages 5-14 have fun building video games while gaining life-changing skills in coding, robotics, and problem solving. Kids have fun, parents see results®. For more information, visit www.codeninjas.com.